How to make an impact early...

With promotion comes the increased level of expectation on your job performance. Management has singled you out as a high performer. Your every move is closely monitored and if their expectations are not met, or not exceeded, it could prove costly for your career. So how do you prove your worthiness?

In any new role, an employee has 100 days to demonstrate that the company made the correct appointment decision. That's what you have, 100 days to do something to reassure the people who supported you.

What is it exactly that you have to do? While there is no definition, it certainly calls for action over and above the day-to-day activities of the role. Yet, it can also be relatively simple.

For example, earlier in my corporate career I had been transferred to the parent company's US headquarters. I was one of the first international managers assigned to the US in a new development program.

In my new role I was responsible for recommending the annual price increase for my Division. In developing the recommendation I reviewed past increases that were always justified on internal cost changes. I decided to look at past competitors' price increases and found a trend that indicated my Division could take higher price increases in a number of categories and remain competitive in the marketplace. This was the basis of my recommendation, which was accepted by management.

At the time, I did not think it was particularly sophisticated, more a matter of common business sense. However, it was a new way of looking at the business and within a week the senior executive who had nominated me into the international development program took me to lunch. He told me that everyone was very impressed by the analysis and it confirmed the aptness of the international development program.

The point is, you have to be seen to be doing well and you only have around 3 months - or 100 days.

Achieve this, and senior management will be thinking this young professional is fantastic and you will be on the shortlist of up and coming managers.

http://www.youngprofessional.com.au/content/view/84/1/